As I pedaled up the hill and got ready to toss another newspaper, I was caught off guard by a big German shepherd that I knew. Instead of wagging his tail—like he usually did when I neared his yard—he barred his teeth and growled. Then, he charged me.
I thought to myself, “Well, I can square off with this ornery dog, speed away on my bike, or …” Rather foolishly, I went for the third option. I rode straight at the dog.
Grabbing a rolled newspaper from my bag, I got ready to swing it like a club—but never got the chance. The shepherd sank his teeth into my thigh, and I yelled, “That dumb dog bit me!” Then suddenly, he turned tail and ran home.
Feeling a stab of pain in my leg, I braked and jumped off my bike—and dropped my Levis to investigate the wound. I saw four deep puncture marks.
But ignoring the pain, I angrily mounted my stingray bike, finished my route and headed home. First thing, I showed my early morning “battle scar” to Dad who—to my chagrin—said I needed to get some shots to in case I got rabies. Those long needled shots hurt more than the dog bite!
That morning, Dad and I knocked on the door of the house where the dog lived—and learned he’d been cruelly beaten by some neighborhood boys riding bicycles, just days before he charged and bit me.
Later on, the doctor called to tell us that the dog didn’t have rabies. I thought, “Oh man, I got poked repeatedly with a long needle—for nothing!”
For days, I steered clear of that big shepherd, and carried a spray bottle of vinegar so I could nail him if he charged me again. I avoided him because I was afraid—and hesitant to approach him.
The Bible says God is our heavenly Father. He’s always approachable and trustworthy. He’s ready for us to run to him, just like small children who never hesitate to run to their strong Dad.
But rather foolishly, we sometimes try to steer clear of God. We may see him as a distant father or a big bully. We may mistrust or fear him. We may harbor distorted thoughts about him.
Long ago, the confident apostle Paul encouraged his timid friend Timothy. He wrote, “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5), and “through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Eph. 3:12).
Friend—because we have such open access to our heavenly Father, we can run to him—boldly and confidently. He’s always approachable and receptive. He’s gracious and reliable. He nods and motions, inviting us to his side—and he hugs us.
So then, “let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-15).
Will you run into our Father’s open arms, enjoy his strong embrace and rely on his grace?
Truth Anchors 